The video game industry has seen many changes over the years. As computing power has expanded, developers of video games have likewise created game software that takes advantage of these increases in computing power. To this end, video game developers have been coding games that incorporate sophisticated operations and mathematics to produce a very realistic game experience.
A number of gaming platforms have been developed and sold in the form of game consoles. A typical game console is designed to connect to a monitor (usually a television) and enable user interaction through handheld controllers. The game console is designed with specialized processing hardware, including a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics synthesizer for processing intensive graphics operations, a vector unit for performing geometry transformations, and other glue hardware, software, and firmware. The game console is further designed with an optical disc tray for receiving game compact discs for local play through the game console. The game console is also designed for online gaming, where a user can interactively play against or with other users over the Internet. As game complexity continues to intrigue players, game and hardware manufacturers have continued to innovate to enable additional interactivity and computer programs.
A growing trend in the computer gaming industry is to develop games and game controllers that increase the interaction between user and the gaming system. The game controllers include features that enable richer interactive experience by allowing a gaming system to track the player's varied movements, and use these movements as inputs for a game executed on the gaming system.
It is in this context that embodiments of the invention arise.